This Porsche 911 GT3 RS is ready to race
If this weekend’s celebration of GT3 racing at Members’ Meeting has got you keen to join the action, there’s one lot in the Bonhams|Cars auction that will stand out to you, and it takes its name from the racing category itself: a 911 GT3 RS.
There’s much to commend this example. Not only does it come with all the Mezger engined drama that’s intrinsic to the 996 generation of the GT3, but it also has championship-winning pedigree.
The GT3 iteration of the 911 was first introduced with the 996 generation, and has remained a mainstay ever since. The GT3 arrived in 1999 and, two years later, the GT3 RS arrived. The RennSport moniker had first appeared forty years earlier with the 2.7 RS and had firmly established itself in Porsche lore. It required something special to reprise the two letters that signify RennSport (which translates to ‘race sport’).
For the RS, the 3.6-litre flat-six engine had been uprated to produce over 405PS (298kW), although the official claimed figure remained the 322PS (237kW) of the non-RS version of the GT3 for homologation reasons. It also went on a weight-loss programme, with a polycarbonate rear window and a bonnet, and rear wing made from carbon fibre shaved off kilos. Ceramic composite brake discs were installed to resist fade and the ride height was lowered by 3mm.
The result? Not only class domination – which would have been more than adequate – but also the pace to outperform more powerful prototypes. Porsche 911 GT3 RSs claimed outright victories at the Daytona 24-Hour and Spa-Francorchamps 24-Hour races in 2003.
Bonhams|Cars is offering a 911 GT3 RS that was supplied new to Swedish outfit Podium Racing in March 2002, and it won the Swedish GT Championship the same year. After chalking up that victory, it was sold to UK-based James Watt Automotive who campaigned it in the European Le Mans Series in 2005.
The current custodian took ownership in 2007 and instigated a restoration of the engine and gearbox. According to the ECU data, the car has completed around nine hours of trackday driving since that work. It had a new crankcase, but the original is still available. The car also features some 2004 updates, namely the RSR spec brakes and uprights, and the simultaneous update to the traction control.
It is estimated to sell for between £140,000 and £170,000. In-date components, and an array of tools and spares and FIA documentation mean this GT3 RS is ready to race. Who’s going to add to its tally of race wins?
With this year’s tickets sold out, we’re delighted to announce that tickets for the 83rd Members’ Meeting will be available for a limited time immediately after this year’s event - at the best price they will be available – only for Members and Fellows of the GRRC. Admission and Grandstand tickets will go on sale on Monday 14th April for Members, and Wednesday 16th April for Fellows.
If you are not yet part of the Fellowship, join by the 16th April 2025 to benefit from early access to tickets at the lowest possible price.
Members' Meeting
82MM
82nd Members' Meeting
Porsche
911 GT3 RS
Bonhams|Cars
Auction
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